Kurdish Policy Analysis

By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj | Kurdish Policy Analysis Saudi Arabia and Iraq: Can Strategic Partnership Survive Rising Regional Tensions? Saudi Arabia and Iraq have transformed diplomatic ties into strategic cooperation, but escalating regional crises threaten to turn partnership into confrontation. Saudi air strikes on Hashdi Shaabi positions in Iraq have become the subject of media coverage, as this is the first time Riyadh has officially announced its direct military participation in Iraqi territory. The move has raised questions among observers about what will happen to the political situation in Baghdad, Prime Minister Ali Zayed's policies and Iraq's relations with the United States and the Gulf countries. Saudi Arabia's involvement with the United States in the attacks is a major change in Riyadh's stance after months of restraint, AFP reported. Although Saudi Arabia says it was in self-defense, experts question whether Riyadh has changed its conscious policy towards Ira...

By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj Kurdish Policy Analysis  Lebanese media: Saudi Arabia will be attacked from Iraq in the next 72 hours Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar reported that the Iraqi Resistance Front forces will respond militarily to US and Saudi attacks within 72 hours. Could Iraq Become the Next Front in a Wider Regional Confrontation? A report published by the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar has intensified concerns about the possibility of another escalation in the Middle East. According to the newspaper, Iraqi Resistance Front factions are preparing to launch military operations against Saudi Arabia within the next 72 hours in response to what they describe as U.S. and Saudi attacks. Although the report has not been independently verified and no official Iraqi, Saudi, or U.S. authorities have confirmed the claim, its publication alone reflects the increasingly volatile security environment across the region. Whether the reported threat materializes or not, it highlights the growing p...

  By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj Kurdish Policy Analysis Caught between Iran, the Houthis, and Iran-backed militias in Iraq, Saudi Arabia faces its most dangerous security environment in years. Saudi Arabia faces growing threats from Iran, the Houthis and Iraqi militias, raising the risk of a costly multi-front regional conflict. Saudi Arabia has spent years trying to avoid becoming directly entangled in another major regional conflict. Through diplomatic reconciliation with Iran, efforts to end the Yemen war, and an ambitious domestic economic transformation under Vision 2030, Riyadh sought to replace confrontation with stability. Yet recent developments suggest that strategy is under unprecedented pressure. Faced with attacks from Iranian-backed groups in Yemen and Iraq, alongside renewed threats from Tehran itself, Saudi Arabia increasingly finds itself surrounded by multiple security challenges that could draw the Kingdom into a wider regional war. The recent missile attacks on Saudi...

  By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj Washington and Riyadh Launch Coordinated Strikes Across Iraq as Regional Tensions Enter a Dangerous New Phase Hashd al-Shaabi says US and Saudi airstrikes struck multiple Iraqi provinces, killing fighters and escalating regional tensions. US-Saudi Airstrikes Hit Hashd al-Shaabi Positions Across Iraq The Middle East witnessed a dramatic escalation on Wednesday morning after coordinated airstrikes by the United States and Saudi Arabia reportedly targeted multiple headquarters, weapons depots, and logistical facilities belonging to Iraq's Popular Mobilization Forces (Hashd al-Shaabi). According to a statement released by the Hashd al-Shaabi, at least 20 fighters were killed and 32 others wounded in what the organization described as one of the largest coordinated attacks against its infrastructure in recent years. Officials cautioned that these figures remain preliminary, with investigative teams continuing to assess the full extent of casualties and dama...

By Dr. Pshtiwan Faraj Kurdish Policy Analysis Recent drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and Jordan underscore how Tehran is increasingly relying on regional partners to pursue its strategic objectives while avoiding direct military confrontation with the United States. Drone attacks against Saudi Arabia and Jordan highlight Iran's growing reliance on proxy forces to pressure the United States, Gulf states, and regional energy infrastructure. The latest wave of drone attacks targeting Saudi Arabia and Jordan signals that Iran's regional strategy is entering a new phase. Rather than engaging in direct military confrontation, Tehran continues to rely on its extensive network of proxy forces and aligned armed groups to apply pressure across the Middle East while maintaining a degree of plausible deniability. This strategy enables Iran to escalate regional tensions without necessarily crossing thresholds that would trigger a direct military response against the Iranian state i...